A Kimberley community leader says young people and their families are still struggling to access basic mental health support despite suicide being the leading cause of death for Aboriginal children.
Warning: This article contains details that readers may find distressing.
Key points:
- Children aged between 15 and 17 accounted for more than a third of the deaths identified in the ABS report
- Community leaders in the Kimberley and the Pilbara are calling for additional support
- They say barriers to access are particularly acute in regional areas
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed suicide accounted for 27 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children last year.
The causes of death report revealed that more than a third of those children were aged between 15 and 17.
The high rates of child suicide in the Kimberley have been the subject of numerous coronial inquests, as well as other inquiries and reviews, and the West Australian government has faced criticism for failing to make good on its highly-publicised promises.
Coroners have also expressed frustration that their recommendations have received little to no follow-up at state and national levels.
Nyamba Buru Yawuru chief operating officer Taliah Payne said people in the Kimberley had been in desperate need of help for too long.
"When you're sitting across the dinner table and you've got a nephew in a neck brace because he survived his attempt and you're trying to eat your roast dinner, it's in your face," she said.
"They're doing it so violently, which means to me that they're so desperate, and no-one's listening and no-one's seeing the person behind that pain."
The Broome-based Yawuru, Nimanburru and Djugun woman said youth suicide and mental health issues had been present in her life since her nine-year-old cousin died by suicide when she was 11 years old.
"We've lost lots of family members to that … it's in your face, really," Ms Payne said.
"We know that we shouldn't be seeing this … it's an ongoing support system that needs to happen.
"If we have traumatised children, we're going to have traumatised adults — that is plain and simple."
Ms Payne said young people in the Kimberley continued to struggle to access mental health support and that many were forced to travel as far as Perth for help.
An 'alarming' increase
Black Dog Institute First Nations strategy director Clinton Schultz said the social and emotional health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was not improving and that the suicide rate within the population the highest in a decade.
"It's alarming to see the rates have increased, although I'm not surprised," he said.
"Now we've moved into the referendum space … I think it's this snowball of events and and uber-focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — our communities, our lives in general ... that has really led to the situation that we're witnessing now.
"I think the extra pressures that we have on us — it's quite overwhelming for many people."
Dr Schultz said communities needed to be listened to and that issues raised by mental health professionals had not been heard.
Regional access barriers
Mental health support services throughout WA are struggling to meet a growing demand.
Anglicare WA Pilbara manager Charlene Senior said the needs of the region were not being met.
"There are staffing shortages in almost every wellbeing service across the region," she said.
Ms Senior said barriers to putting mental health programs in place in regional areas included housing shortages and a lack of investment.
"It's so difficult to get a program established up here," she said.
Recent research from Mental Illness fellowship Australia (MIFA) shows about 15,000 West Australians with severe or complex mental illnesses were unable to access key community mental health support.
MIFA chief executive Tony Stevenson said more investment was needed for mental health services, especially in regional areas.
"We need ongoing support, particularly for the 154,000 people around Australia who are missing out," he said.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- ReachOut at au.reachout.com
- Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774